No Heartbeat
by lobobee
Summary: End of the world changes everyone for the better and for the worst, it's also not the right place to fall in love. To bad Ronnie and Daryl not got the memo. Can they both get past their demons and except they love each other before it's too late? DARYL/OC
1. Chapter 1

Ronnie hummed and danced to the sounds of Tupac coming from her computer as it played her Pandora station. Ronnie was cooking dinner for her and her roommate Shay. They both have been graving lemon garlic chicken and white rice.

Ronnie and Shay were best friends and have been for the past six years. You wouldn't think they were if you saw them. They were complete opposites in their appearance. Ronnie was short and petite with black-layered hair that had a wave to it. Her chocolate brown eyes were always filled with laughter.

Shay was tall athletic and blonde. Her baby blue eyes and pouty lips made her everyone man's fantasy.

Despite their appearance they were two pees in a pod. They both met in college and hit it off right away. They had the exact same ipod with the exact same earphones, they accidently switch ipods when they left the class they had together. Apparently they didn't know the other had their ipod because they basically had the same music. After they realize their mistake and laughed about it in class they were instant friends.

Ronnie was majoring to be an engineer. When she saw her uncle take apart a car she fell in love with the engine. The way it was build, the way it worked. She wanted to know how to build one. How it worked, how it helped cars drive, planes fly and boats cruise.

Shay was majoring in physics hoping to be a scientist and discover a new mater. Shay was a big dreamer.

After they both graduated they got an arrow from a dartboard and threw it at a map of the east side. It landed on Georgia. That's where they decided to go and start a new chapter together.

Ronnie worked at a racing track examining the engines and other parts of the car. She loved her job; the best part is she would get to drive the cars.

Shay worked at a college where she taught physics, all her male students were in love with her.

Ronnie was truly happy with her life. She didn't grow up in a bad home or had a bad childhood. She had two loving parents who loved her and her two older brothers. They were good God-fearing people. She couldn't ask for better parents. She loved them very much but she needed to get away from home and start somewhere new, be on her own for once.

At first it was hard but soon she got the hang of it. Shay made things easier.

Shay was born to a single mother and had trouble finding ends meet. That was until her mom met Greg. Her mom fell hopelessly in love with him. After a year of seeing each other they got married. Greg was like the father she never had. She loved him as if he was her real father and he treated her like a daughter.

Shay started to get into a lot of trouble at fifteen after she saw Greg get killed. She wanted a slurpee so bad and was throwing a tantrum even at fifteen. But Greg always gave her what she wanted. So he drove her to 711 to get her a slurpee. A guy in a mask came and tried to rob the place. Greg was one of the nicest men you would ever meet. He tried to talk the guy out off it but the guy was scared, and knew Greg was a cop. Turned out it was some kid she went to high school with.

Her mom kicked her out of the house claiming she was ruining her life. Shay didn't know where to go or what to do. She moved in with her grandma and got her act together.

Ronnie paused Pandora and picked up her phone as it played War's Why Can't We Be Friends. It was her ring tone she had for Shay. "Hello?"

"Hey Ronnie! I hate to do this to you but I'm staying at Steve's tonight"

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning"

That was one thing Shay hasn't grown out of. Falling for the wrong guy. Steve was cute, but he had a bad personality. He treated Shay like an accessory, not a girlfriend. When Shay fell for a boy she fell hard. When they would break up with her or cheat on her she would come crying swear off men that were bad for but then start seeing another guy who was exactly the same.

Ronnie only attacked the wrong type of guys. She was a magnet for creeps. Their neighbor was King of all creeps. Ronnie tried to keep her distance but it was hard to ignore the looks he would give her or the vulgar words he would say when he saw her.

Ronnie took what she was going to eat from the chicken and rice and then put the rest in a Tupperware. She relaxed on her couch and watched I shouldn't be alive. She loved this show, she has learned a lot of things she could do if she was ever in danger. If the situation called for it she wasn't sure she would be able to remember seeing as how she would be so scared.

Ronnie fell asleep on the couch snuggled into the blanket her mom sent her last week. It smelled like home and she was afraid to wash it and loose it's sent. What woke her up other then the light from the TV was her phone singing Shay's song. "Hello Shay?" she answered in a tired voice. "It's 3 a.m., did you and Steve have a fight?"

"Ronnie you….out" All she could here was few words said was saying over the phone. In the background all she could here was screaming and load noises. Why would Shay call her at a club? "Out…go"

"Shay I can't hear you! I can only hear bits and pieces."

"Ronnie you need….safe….don't…home…inside"

"Shay?"

"News, turn, they're eating.."

She couldn't hear what Shay was saying and the line went dead. Shay had said something about the news, and eating something. Curious Ronnie turned on the tv and saw a news reporter telling everyone to stay in their houses and if someone seems to be getting sick or fever to call 911.

That's when she heard it, the loud noises and screams. She looked out her window and saw chaos. People were running and breaking into stores down stairs. Why was that person hover over that other person? Ronnie jumped back when she got a better look. The old man was eating a woman!

What the hell was going on?! She knew Shay told her to stay put but she packed herself a bag anyways. Her parents always taught her to be prepared. Granted, she didn't have an end of the world kit. But she did have an earthquake kit. She shoved that in her duffle bag along with some clothes.

She heard someone trying to open her door. She knew people would try to loot and break in. They were scared. Hell she was scared. She was all by herself. She didn't know what to do. She tried to run to her bedroom and lock herself in there but before she could her front door was kicked open.

"Well look what we have here" Roger, her neighbor that was King of all creeps. He had black greasy hair that was slicked back. He had this smile that gave you chills. His yellow teeth shined in the light.

"Good job Roger, I think she would do" A handsome man with shaggy blonde hair showed up next to Roger.

See she always attacked the creeps.

What happened next was kind of a blur. Two men came in and grabbed her. She put up a fight kicking and screaming. She knew she got one of the guys in the groin but someone must have hit her over the head because everything just went black after that.

Sometimes she wished that one of those things got to her instead of these men. When a crisis happens we worry so much bout that crisis we forget how humans our. Our human nature is bad. Someone will always try to gain control and their true evil in their heart will show.

"Food!" Ronnie opened her eyes and saw a slop of some kind in a bowl by her feet. "Eat up, you're going to need your strength" The man laughed as he walked away and went to the other cells delivering this so called food.

Ronnie knew the food was disgusting; she constantly wanted to gag every time she took a bite. She also knew that if she didn't eat she would starve to death or die in the rink.

"I'm not eating that" Ronnie looked up at the redhead who sat across from her. Guess this was her new cellmate. "Hey, how long do you think we'll be here?"

Ronnie just looked at her with hallow eyes that no longer held humor in them or life. Ronnie was a shell, a shell that had to survive. She just looked down at the bowl and ate whatever this shit they gave them was.

The girl just scoffed and muttering under her breather how Ronnie was a bitch. Ronnie just continued to look down at the bowl, eating it with one hand. Her other was chained to the bars.

She knew she couldn't get close. She did the first few times when she first got here. She learned the hard way it was best to make no connections.

She left the girl half of the bowl hope she ate some. She knew she shouldn't care but. Ronnie was Ronnie and always made sure everyone was taken care of.

"Do you even talk"

Looking up she saw the girl glaring at her. She doesn't know what's coming. Ronnie has been here for 3 months after a couple of weeks she just stopped talking. All the sass and backtalk got her a week in the cell. She hated it. No longer wanting to cause a problem she just refused to talk. Looking down at her outfit wishing desperately she could change into something different. She still wore what she wore when they picked her up. A beatles tshirt and black shorts with white skulls on them. But now they were covered in dirt and blood. She hasn't seen herself in the mirror in so long, she new she looked like a mess.

Ronnie looked down at her necklace. It was a little weird; it was a silver chain with a duck pendant on it. Her and Shay have the same one. After watching all of the Mighty Ducks they decided they were ducks. No matter what happens, ducks fly together. As long as she's known Shay she always had someone to lean on. After she was taken she realized she had to survive on her own. Shay wasn't here. She was most likely dead, one of those dead things.

"Where are you from?" Her cellmate was trying to get her to talk. She wasn't the first one to try to get to know her, and she sure wasn't going to be the last.

"I wouldn't bother. Scraps doesn't talk. She hasn't since I've gotten here" The brunette in the cell next to them said. That was Vixie, she was picked up at a school about a week ago.

She didn't understand why they kept some of the girls for so long. Usually they get them, use them and then dispose of them. Some of the men were selfish and wanted to keep one girl and use her over and over again. Some of the men made the girls wait getting their hopes up just to crush them.

"Why are they even keeping us here?" The redhead whined as she crossed her arms in frustration. Ronnie knew after today she wasn't going to be seeing this girl again. Ronnie learned the hard way, if you see all the scars she developed in the past three months.

When the door opened everyone scurried to the corner of their cells and tried to make sure they weren't noticed. Ronnie knew they were here for her. They always came for her at this time.

"Hey Scrappy" Ronnie looked up and saw Dave. Dave was without a doubt good looking. He looked like the typical bad boy. He probably was, but this new world made him worse then the dead. "You're up" he smiled smugly.

He opened the cell and unlocked the cuffs that chained her hand to the bar. At this point Ronnie was just going through the motions. She's done this more times then she can count. She wants to give up and just die. But she knew if Shay ever knew she thought these thing she would kick her ass. So she kept fighting for Shay.

As she heard the crowd cheering she knew it was her time to fight again. "We got a couple of good ones for you Scrap" laughed Dave. She entered the center of the warehouse they made into their little compound. All the men of the group where cheering and chanting as they saw her come in.

There were only thirty guys. They kept recruiting more boys. They promised safety, shelter, food and women. She wished they would just drop dead.

"Good luck" Ronnie felt Dave's hand on the small of her back and felt the pressure as he pushed her into the pit they had made. This was the men's entertainment.

"Gentlemen! Place your bets! Who will be the winner? Reigning champion Scrappy or her new opponent Red?!"

Her cellmate was pushed into the pit and she looked scared. She had no clue what was about to happen. Ronnie just stood there looking at her as she cried. In the beginning she tried to help the girls but it just came to her or them at the end.

"What's going on? What are we doing here?!" Ronnie just looked at her. She needed to disconnect herself so she doesn't care what was going to happen. "Say something!"

"Throw in the geeks!"

Three walkers were thrown into the pit. The redhead started screaming and tried to climb up the wall and get out. It was no use; she wasn't going to get out. The walkers went toward Red because she was moving and making noise. Ronnie knew how this game worked.

She just stood there and watched the walkers attack the girl and start devouring her. At that moment Ronnie didn't feel anything. When she was thrown back into her cell that's when everything hit her. But during this game feelings and emotions got you killed.

One of the walkers stood up and noticed her just standing there. It walked toward her moaning with its arms stretched out. The other two also noticed her and went toward her as well. They came at her faster and she knew it was time to perform. To the men she was performing but to her she was surviving.

She grabbed the arm of the first walker and kicked it in the stomach. The arm she held popped off. She used it to hit the others as they came at her. She stomped on its head until the skull caved in. She smacked the second walker with the arm and tackled it to the ground with a feral scream. She grabbed the head and repeatedly slammed it into the ground. The last walked grabbed her hair. Ronnie turned and threw herself at it. She screamed as she pushed her thumbs into its eyes sockets until she felt them pop and puncture the brain.

The cheering and clapping was white noise to her as she fought. She stood up covered in blood and walked to Red's corpse. She looked down at the pretty girl and knew at she had to hold it all in. She couldn't show hesitation. Lifting her foot she stomped the head, making sure she didn't come back.

"The winner is Scrappy!"

A rope was thrown down for her to climb out of the pit. The new kid Randal was pulling her up. That's when she saw it. The weapons they raided. The flash bombs are what caught her attention. As Randal walked her back to the cells after putting on her shackles she saw her opportunity. She elbowed him in the stomach and slammed her back into his face and grabbed his gun. They surrounded her with guns aiming at her. Maybe this was it; this was the moment everything was going to end. She could finally relax and sleep. She welcomed death as she closed her eyes.

She didn't feel anything she didn't know if they made it quick. When she opened her eyes she saw it and heard it. Walkers.

The men were screaming and shooting at the walkers. She was the last thing on their mind. She grabbed the flash bombs and started throwing them all over the warehouse. She needed to get out. She knew if she went by food she would never make it. She just needed to keep fighting. The remaining men jumped into the hummers and sped off.

She heard the walkers and knew they were right behind her. She ran as fast as she could. Not wanting to use the gun knowing the noise will alert more. She was about to give up but a car pulled up next to her. The door opened and showed her neighbor Roger. He grabbed her and threw her in his car.

"I'm finally going to fuck you good." He smiled at her. "Don't know why they had you fighting. I bet your pussy is tight"

Ronnie knew Roger was the lesser of both evils but at this very moment she wanted neither. She pulled the parking brake causing both of them to jerk forward. Ronnie leaned her back against the passenger door and started to kick Roger. "Fucking bitch!" he grabbed her foot and tried tot get at her. That's when she remembered the gun she took from Randal. She grabbed from her shorts and shot Roger in the chest. Then she shot him in the throat. Everything was quiet. Roger was driving so fast they were far from the herd of walkers. Breathing heavy she just stared at Roger, he was no longer moving. She knew he was dead. Finding the strength she sat up leaned over the body and opened the door. She pushed Roger's corpse out of the car as hard as she could.

Closing the door and taking off the parking break she started to just drive straight. She only had a tank of gas and she knew after she ran out she had to go on foot. But until then she would drive to the safest place she could find.

Finally being able to breathe and knew she no longer being locked in a cage she cried as she drove off up the road.

Now she had to fight a different fight. A fight the human race was losing.

**Authors Note: **I know I shouldn't be posting another story when I have others to update. But I'm stuck on those! Plus I've written 7 chapters of this story so far. Updates will be every other week! Please review and let me know what you think! Since I have other chapters written if I get reviews I'll post the next chapter! And almost all the chapters so far are long.

I'm excited for this one!


	2. Chapter 2

Shay was bored.

She was bored of her boyfriend Steve. Maybe Ronnie was right about her always falling for the wrong guys. Guess it's true what they say. Girls with daddy issues always fall for the wrong guy.

Steve was your typical blonde jock. He thought he was so much better then everyone just because he had money. At first she didn't mind it; in fact she loved it. He would shower her with gifts and take her to fancy restaurants.

Ronnie didn't like him. She called him Noise High. He always had his noise in the air like his shit didn't stink. He was a pompous ass.

She loved to see Ronnie rant and rave about her boyfriends. She knew she wasn't going to be with them long, so until it ended she just wanted to have some fun.

"Hey babe, let's go to that new club. The rabbit hole"

"I was going to have dinner with Ronnie"

Steve whined and threw his head back on the couch. "You can have dinner with Ronnie any time. You guys live together for god's sake!"

She understood what Ronnie was saying about him. He had an ego that rivaled Charlie Sheen. She might as well have some fun with him before she broke up with him. "Okay let me call her"

"You're the best bae!" God she hated that name. Maybe it was because she was a teacher but the word bae just sounded lazy.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ronnie! I hate to do this to you but I'm staying at Steve's tonight"

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning"

Shay hung up the phone and looked at Steve. He gave her a smile. She wanted to smack it the hell out of him.

When Shay was an only child. Before Greg her mom would hardly be at home. Shay basically raised herself at a very young age. She missed her mom; she was missing a woman she never knew; until Greg came along.

Her mom's car got stranded and she had a few drinks at this bar she met some coworkers. Her phone died and she had no way of calling someone for help. Greg was duty and was just driving through the town. He saw her sitting on the curb underneath a street lamp. He used to say it was like a sign from God. The heaven opened up and was showing him this woman who needed his help in more ways then one. After that night her mom changed. She didn't recognize this woman that was home every night and made dinner.

When her mom introduced her to Greg about a month after they started seeing each other. Shay like Greg right away, he was helping her mom be a mom. One of the happiest moments in her life was when Greg and her mom got married. She stopped calling him Greg and started calling him dad. He did everything for Shay; he treated her like she was his. Her mom loved him even more for that.

Greg always wanted to make sure that Shay and her mom would be able to defend themselves if something were to ever happen to him. He took Shay to the shooting range when she turned thirteen and showed her how to aim and gun safety.

She loved Greg, and Greg loved her. When they found out that her mom was pregnant it was a bittersweet moment for Shay. She was happy that she was going to be a big sister but at the same time her parents would love this baby more then her. This baby would be Greg's actual flesh and blood, and her mom would love this baby more because it was Greg's and not the scumbag that left her at 4 months pregnant.

Greg knew something was going on with her. Her took her to a movie and then to a small diner they would go to all the time when they hung out together. It was their special spot; the waitress knew their orders without even asking. They always got milk shakes and french fries. When they got to the diner Shay was hardly eating anything. This was her favorite meal; even when she felt like throwing up she still would eat it.

She denied that nothing was wrong of course, but he knew she was lying. He explained to her that even though she isn't his actual blood, the baby would not change the way he feels about her. She was his kid; he would give his life for her. He proved that the day he died. After that night, all she wanted to do is meet guys that were the opposite of Greg.

The bass of the music was pumping making Shay's baby vibrate with the beat. She sat in a both extremely bored. She's been at the club with Steve and his best friend Mikey for 3 hours now. She so desperately wanted to go home and sleep. Going to clubs all the time and drinking was getting old. Steve was getting old. She knew for sure she was going to break up with him.

"Steve can we go?!" Shay screamed in her boyfriend's ear.

"Baby we just got here!" Shay just rolled her eyes and took a sip from her cosmo. "Fine let's fine Mikey"

They both got out of the booth and went down to the dance floor to find Mikey. She looked around in the crowd seeing if she can find him. She noticed a lot of people dancing really close; she saw a couple get really graphic. It looked like he was trying to swallow her neck whole.

"Stevey!" They both turned and looked at Mikey as he emerged from the crowd. "Dude some guy bit me!"

"What? Let's get out of here" Steve grabbed Shay's hand and pushed their way out of the club.

"Mikey maybe we should take you to the hospital? That bite looks pretty bad" Shay grabbed his arm and looked at the nasty wound. She's never seen a bite like this. It looked like the guy took a big chunk out of his arm.

"Naw I'm fine". Typical man. They got into Steve's car and headed back to his apartment.

The bite was still bugging Shay. How can human teeth make such a bite?

"You know what guys. Maybe you should take me to the hospital. I'm not feeling too hot." Shay turned and looked at Mikey. It had only been ten minutes since they left the club and he was sweating like he was in a sauna.

Shay turned and leaned in to feel his head. "Shit Mike, you're burning up. Steve we have to take him to the doctors. What if he got an infection from the bite"

"I know I'm not some genius but even I know that an infection from a bite can't develop that fast"

"We still need to take him, now"

Steve and Mikey have been best friends since they were in high school. Steve was the caption and quarter back of the football team and Mikey was the center. Together they were an unstoppable team, or so they say. They did everything together, and by that it means EVERYTHING. They tried to make it a mission to be tunnel buddies with every girl they've been with just to compare. When Shay found this out, she was about ready to dumb Steve then and now. But then Mikey got a girlfriend and Steve bought her a diamond bracelet she let it go.

"I don't know what's taking them so long. We've been waiting here for an hour now and a nurse has yet to come check on him" Steve complained as he walked back and forth. Mikey was currently lying in a bed that they sent them to when they got there. The hospital was complete chaos; a bunch of other people had come in for bites.

"Look around you Steve. We're not the only one waiting." In the bed next to them a six year old had a 110 fever and had trouble breathing. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Mikey fell asleep Shay, that's how long they're taking" Steve sat in the chair next to the bed and put his hand on Mikey's shoulder shaking him. "Yo Mikey, wake up" Mikey didn't move or make a noise of resistance. "Mikey, wake up. It's not funny dude!"

Shay got up and opened one of Mike's eyes. They were yellow and his iris looked like he had cataracts. What the hell was going on? "Nurse" Shay grabbed the attention of one of the nurses that was scurrying about trying to get to every patient she could get to. "Our friend's not waking up"

The nurse got close to Mikey and took out her telescope. She placed it where his heart was. She scrunched her face in concentration and placed her fingers on his neck. Sighing she turned to Steve and Shay with a sullen look. "I'm sorry to say but you're friends gone"

"What?! He was fine just a while ago at the club!" yelled Steve. "It was the bite wasn't it?"

"Yes" the nurse looked so tired. She placed her hands in her pocket. "We've been getting these cases all night. We don't know what it is but every case is different. I would suggest to just stay in your home"

Steve was covering his face as he tried hard not to cry for his dead friend. Shay looked up to thank the nurse, and that's when she saw it. Mikey sat up and turned to them. But Shay couldn't quiet explain it but it wasn't Mikey.

He grabbed the nurse by the shoulder and just sank his teeth into her neck. Shay and Steven gasped as they took a step back. The nurse was screaming as Mikey continued to bite her next.

"Mikey! Stop it, what are you doing?!" Steve yelled trying to get Mikey's attention. Mikey turned his head toward them and let go of the nurse. The nurse fell on the floor and started chocking on her own blood.

Mikey was getting off the bed and started toward them. They both just kept backing up. Mikey made a groaning noise and had his arms stretched out trying to get them. They heard more screams and groans, as the emergency room became a massacre. People were biting each other, eating people and tearing them apart.

"Mikey, stop it dude" Shay could hear Steve's tears in his voice. He knew this thing wasn't Mikey anymore.

"Steve I think we need to get out of here"

Mikey lunged at Steve causing both of them fall. Steve grabbed the clipboard the nurse dropped when Mikey attacked her. He shoved the edge unto his mouth to prevent him from biting him.

Shay didn't get a chance to help Steve because the little girl in the bed next to Mikey tried to grab her through the curtain. The girl's hands were tearing the curtain apart. Shay backed not knowing what to do. She saw the scalpels on the tray she grabbed them and knew she had to hurt this little girl. She took one of the scalpels and shoved it where she knew the hearts was. The little kept coming, it was impossible! The little girl should to dead. Her heels made her trip and the little girl got on top of her growling a noise little girls can't make.

She held the girl back but couldn't hold it for much longer. Why was this little girl so strong? She knew she had to do something, she held the last scalpel and shoved it into the little girls skull with a cry. The little body went limp; Shay pushed her off of her and stood up. She saw Steve still trying to keep Mikey off of him. Shay grabbed one of the I.V. stand and wacked Mikey off of Steven. She bashed him in the head until his skull caved in.

Steve stood up and held Shay to him. They looked around the hospital and knew they had to get out of there. They both ran to his car and headed to his apartment. Shay changed her clothes and tried to grab as much stuff as she could.

"We have to get Ronnie" Shay couldn't leave her. She needed to make sure she was okay.

"Shay, we can't we need to leave now" Steve grabbed her arm and tried to pull her to his car.

"I need to get her Steve"

"No Shay! Ronnie is to far from here. The news said head to Atlanta. Ronnie will see the news and know to head in that direction. There is food and shelter there. Ronnie will be there"

"Let me call her at least"

Steve nodded his head, they both ran to his car and threw their bags in the back of the seat and hoped in. Shays phone was still dead so she grabbed Steve's and dialed Ronnie, they both made sure if there was ever an emergency that they needed to memorize each others numbers. Shay held the phone to her ear as Steve drove away from the apartments. All over the streets was chaos, people were looting and running through other people. It broke her heart when she saw little girl crying and a mother holding her baby not knowing what to do. She knew Steve wouldn't stop for them. The phone rang for a few seconds.

"Hello Shay?" Ronnie answered in a tired voice. She must have woken her up. "It's 3 a.m., did you and Steve have a fight?"

"Ronnie you need to get out of the apartment. You need to get out of town and go to Atlanta!"

"Shay I can't hear you! I can only hear bits and pieces."

"Ronnie you need to get somewhere safe. Don't stay home. It's not safe if you stay inside!"

"Shay?"

"Watch the news! People are turning into these things. They're eating people" Shay started to hear static and knew she was going to loose her connection. "Ronnie!" She couldn't hear anything but static.

"The line went dead," she whispered to Steve. Steve looked at her and just let out a big breath. He turned up the radio and drove off into the dark.

Shay tried to get Ronnie to get out more, and experience things. Ronnie had a good childhood and doesn't really know how to be a grown up sometimes. Shay had to grow up fast. She knew she had to help Ronnie so she could fend for herself. She really didn't mind; she loved Ronnie. Ronnie would joke that she would starve without Shay. Ronnie was naïve, shy and inexperienced in things. She wasn't quite a grown up yet.

Shay made sure she knew how to defend herself. In college they took a karate class together. Ronnie got the basics down but that's about it. When she would fight against their classmates she always lost. Then she would take her to the shooting range and show her everything Greg taught her. Ronnie got the hang of it a bit, but she could never hit what she wanted to hit. All that stuff made Ronnie who she was, that's what Shay loved about her. They both loved going camping, that was something Ronnie didn't need Shay's help with. Ronnie could put a tent together all by herself in record time. She just didn't know to tie it down to the ground using the spikes. She prayed that nothing would happen to Ronnie and make it out alive. She needed to see her again. Ronnie always knew how to get her out of her dark mood.

If she never saw Ronnie again she would kill Steve in his sleep.

They didn't quiet make it to Atlanta. They got stuck in the traffic jam and witnessed Atlanta being bombed. Atlanta was no longer safe. Shay had made friends with some of the people whose cars where right by her and Steve. She suggests the guarry that her and Ronnie always camped at. That's where this small group made camp.

She had made friends with sisters Andrea and Amy. They were on their way to Florida when the outbreak happened. Their car broke down and Dale picked them up.

She got along with all the campers. Well, she got a long with majority of the campers. She didn't quite get a long with the Dixon brothers. It was more Merle, Daryl just stayed quiet and kept in his brothers shadow. Merle and her have butted heads more then once. He annoyed the hell out of her; she wanted to smack that stupid smug look off of his face.

Right now he wasn't at camp at the moment. He went on a run with Glenn and others from camp. Amy was getting worried cause it had been a while and Andrea had gone with them. Glenn was the one that usually went on his own but today a group went with him.

She sat on a ledge looking as some of the women washed the laundry in the lake. Shay looked down at her duck charm and tried not to think about all the worse things that could have happened to her.

She felt someone sit next to her and heard him grunt. "That's a weird charm"

Shay looked at Shane and smiled. "My best friend Ronnie said we're ducks. No matter what rain or shine ducks fly together."

"Seems like she's smart"

"She is". They both looked down and saw Steve zipping up his pants as he came out of the woods with one of the girls from camp following behind him. "She hated Steve, always bugged me to dump him. She said I always fell for the wrong guy; arrogant jock with a pretty dace. Maybe she was right"

"Pretty girl like you, doubt you'll have trouble finding someone" Shane stretched his arm and draped it over Shay's shoulder.

Shay laughed as she shrugged it off. "Unfortunately Shane, you fall under that category"

"Drat"

She smiled at him and was thankful he was trying to cheer her up. "You think it would be better if I knew what happened to her?"

"I think it's better not to know" Shay just nodded her head and tucked the necklace under her shirt. "Come one, help me convince Carl to catch some frogs"

Isn't it funny how some things work? Glen came back to camp with a convertible blaring it's siren. Everyone was worried when it was just him. But then a van came and the rest of the group showed up. Lori's dead husband also came out of the van. Watching the family reunite was such a good feeling. Shay looked at the look in Shane's face, he looked like he was conflicted. Happy to see his friends but wishing his was dead at the same time.

We all noticed that someone was missing, and that person wasn't hard to miss. Turned out Merle went on some crazy high and was going to kill everyone so they handcuffed him to the roof, they didn't have time to get him before the building was overrun.

Daryl wasn't very happy about his brother being left in Atlanta. It was the first time anyone saw him cry. Rick felt like it was his fault so he volunteered to go get him. Glen and T-Dog were going along with them. Rick had left a bag of guns and they were going to get that too.

Shay hoped they did, they had a close encounter with a walker earlier that day. The walkers were migrating closer to camp.

Shay sat at the table with the kids and tried to teach them math.

She knew they would come back. Rick didn't go through hell to lose his family now.

But, why did she have a bad feeling?


	3. Chapter 3

Ronnie sat on the ledge of the bank building she broke into. This was what Atlanta turned into, a town full of walkers. She bit into the apple she had from the farm she stayed at the night before.

She was supposed to meet Shay here. But that was 4 months ago. Knowing Shay she was most likely alive. The question was, where is she? Ronnie dropped her apple core and watched the walkers try to find the food they knew was there.

She could see the old folks home; she knew they would for sure have medical supplies. It would be better to bandage her cut on her hand with real medical bandages then a dirty clothe from her shirt.

A walker tried to get her when she was breaking into the bank. She grabbed a broken piece of glass and stabbed it in the head. She didn't notice the large cut in her hand until she was safe in the stairwell.

She sighed and got off the ledge. It was time to hit the old folks home. Shouldn't be too hard, there were only walkers in Atlanta. Ronnie quietly walked through the streets making sure no walkers heard her. Spending a month in the woods on her own has taught her to walk without making a sound and walking with stealth. You had to adapt to this world to survive. If you didn't you die.

Ronnie slept in trees and got over killing animals. She needed food to eat and they were there for that.

Ronnie was tired of being alone. Every time she wanted to give up she would look down at her necklace and knew she had to find Shay. She feels like she was last her humanity, killing walkers during the cockfights made her strong and know how to fight. The beatings and making her watch as the men hurt the new girls made her angry. The thing that hardened her was when she had kill her opponent if the walker didn't get them.

She knew all those girls were dead, she hoped all the men were. She still hasn't said a word, not even to herself.

She looked around to see if there were any walkers. When she saw the coast was clear she jumped on the fence and started to climb over it. She jumped into the plush overgrown grass. She opened the back door and froze. There was an old lady pulling her I.V. along with her.

"Gloria, you need to rest" A Hispanic man came into view placing his hand on the old woman's shoulder. He looked up to see Ronnie standing there with a deer in the headlights look. "Who are you?"

Ronnie turned wanting to get out. Someone was behind her and grabbed her. It was another Hispanic man with a goatee. "Hey, how did you get in here?"

She tried to get free but he wouldn't let go. "Hey stop! We'll let you stay! You just need to calm down!" Another man came and tried to help restrain her. She saw him coming and turned swiping at him with her hand.

The man stepped back in pain, she scratch his neck pretty good. Ronnie was exhausted and hadn't had water in a while. She was relying on the apples to keep her hydrated. It was all too much for her, next thing she knew everything went black.

When Ronnie was five, her mother lost her at the park. One minute her mom was there and the next she was gone. She didn't cry and she didn't panic. When she saw her mom yelling at a security guard that's when she started to panic. She screamed for her mom and ran to her. Ronnie's mom squeezed her so tight to couldn't breathe. She didn't care. It wasn't her getting lost that scared her; it was her mother and how frightened she look.

Ronnie has always had someone to rely on; her parents and Shay. When she went to college she thought it was going to be awesome she was finally going to be on her own and learn to be on her own. She met Shay and that didn't quite work out.

In some twisted way. She was happy to be on her own. She didn't need anyone to help her. She has gotten this far on her own. She did it, with no help. Remembering back to that day at the park, Ronnie was strong and fearless. Seeing the fear in her mother made her realized her not being scared was wrong. She should have been scared. Ronnie was never given the chance to not be afraid.

She opened her eyes and looked around at the white room. She felt better, she felt refreshed. She looked down at her hand and saw an IV stuck in it. That's when it hit her; she remembered what happened before she passed out. She noticed that her hand was bandage up with clean gauze. She heard the quiet rustling and saw the man rearranging the cupboards. Ronnie saw the needle and grabbed it. Sitting up slowly she crept toward him and then stabbed him in the shoulder.

She ran out the room as the man fell on the floor screaming in pain. A pair of arms grabbed her and pulled them toward their chest. Ronnie scream and started kicking trying to get loose. They threw her in a room with a young Asian boy in a red baseball hat.

"Watch duckling and make sure she doesn't get in trouble" The door was shut behind and locked. She tried to open it but it was no use, they locked it.

"Hi" the boy smiled shyly. "I'm Glenn"

Ronnie glared at him and sat in the opposite corner pulling her knees to her chest and glared at him. She didn't trust men.

"Are you apart of their group" Ronnie shook her head. "Did you get separated from your group?" again she shook her head.

Glenn didn't know what to do; she just wouldn't talk to him. He could see that she has gone through a lot. She was dirty and covered in inches of dirt and blood. Her face was dirty and her hands were looked like she crawled out of a grave. As he looked at her hands he saw the chains around her wrist.

"Why are those around your wrist?" she just pulled her wrist in her lap. "I'm waiting for my friends to come get me. We have this group by the quarry. There are families there, women and children. It's a really nice place. If you're by yourself then why don't you come with us?

It sounded nice. But she's heard this speech before. The last guy who told her that got his tongue bitten off when he forced it in her mouth.

"Is your real name Ducky" she shook her head no. "Have you been by yourself this whole time" se looked down at the floor and nodded her head.

"I promise, my group won't hurt you. I know you must have hurt that before. But I'm telling the truth. They picked me up when I was all alone. My family got sick and I had no where to go"

She looked up at him and her hard dark chocolate eyes softened a bit.

The door opened and Glenn was called. He smiled at Ronnie and closed the door behind him. When she heard his footsteps walk away she shot up and ran toward the door. She stopped and placed her hand on the handle and turned it. He left it unlocked, why would he do that?

Sighing she turned to the room and sat down back on the floor. What was she still doing here? She should be gone. Glenn's story about his group sounds perfect, but she's heard stories like it before. What was so different about this boy, this story?

She remembered this small family that she ran into. They had two little girls; they were five and seven with blonde curls and blue eyes. They reminded her of Shay.

She was with them for two days and the little girls wanted to play hide and seek. They wondered too far into the woods and got attacked by walkers. All she could remember was their screams.

Turned out these men set the walkers on the little girls. They killed their dad and raped their mother and then killed her. Ronnie climbed up a tree and stayed silent the whole time. She was a coward. She could have stopped it. But the thought of being over powered by those men scared her and she froze.

The men who took her never raped her or abused her in that way. They used her for entertainment. She doesn't know why she was spared from that fate but whoever was watching over she was very grateful.

Maybe Glenn's group was good and safe. Maybe she should trust these men. Something about Glenn's eyes made her want to believe him. They were filled with hope, just like the little girls. He found happiness and this big fucked up world. She laid her head on her knees and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

Glenn was so happy that Rick and the others got him. After being dangled on the roof the men told him the truth of who they really are. He felt bad for them. These men had hearts of gold to stay with these old people. He understood why they tried to make themselves appear like thugs.

"Thanks Rick for the guns. Can we ask you for one more favor" asked Guillermo. "We have this girl and Glenn here wants to know if she can go with you"

"What's wrong with her, why don't ya want her" asked Daryl. He was skeptical. Why were they sending one of their own off?

"Look she broke in here dehydrated and wounded so we bandage her wound gave her fluids. I think she has a problem with men. She scratched Edgar and stabbed Vince with a needle. The only one she hasn't attacked is Glenn"

"I promised her she could come with us" mumbled Glenn.

"No, we ain't taken no psycho bitch with us" Daryl snapped.

"Look she's been on her own since the outbreak and hasn't had any luck with people helping her out. I told her we have families, women and children. She's by herself we can't just leave her with the people she doesn't trust"

Rick nodded his head "Go get her"

"What?!" screamed Daryl in outrage. "Are we really doing this? You heard him! She attacked two of his men!"

Glenn came back with a frown. "She's gone"

Ronnie leaned against the wall as she watched Glenn and his friends leave the retirement home. She really did want to go with them. She just couldn't find it in herself to go. She couldn't take that chance that they were who they said they were. Ronnie grabbed the hood of her large army jacket and threw it over her matted hair. She knew she looked like a banshee but she honestly hadn't given her looks a second thought.

It was going to be dark soon and she needed a place to sleep. She went back to the bank she had gotten into before and found an office with a couch. This would do. Shutting the door she walked over to the filling cabinet and pushed it to cover the door. She walked over to the couch and got comfortable. As she lay in the office staring at the moon and listening to the walker's groans she regretting not going with Glenn.

She opened her jacket and took out the bandages she stole from the retirement home. She had to redress her hand; she opened the wound when she climbed over the fence again. She hissed in pain when she put the ointment and secured the gauze.

She looked at her raw wrist, the shackles constantly rubbed against her skin. She knew she would forever have scars on her wrist, along with other she had gotten. She took the ointment and rubbed it on her wrist. As best as she could with the shackles in the way she wrapped some gauze around them.

When it was quiet and Ronnie had a rare opportunity to relax she would think about what she would be doing right now if the whole world hadn't gone to shit.

Most likely eating dinner with Shay watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians. She would like to think at this point she met someone who wasn't a creep.

She remembered this one time when Shay took her to a bar to get it out. Shay was going out with some guy named Doug. Doug, what kind of name is that? It sounded like a noise you make when something is disgusting. He had hit on her when Shay was finishing getting ready for one of their dates. The guy was a pig.

Shay left her at the bar so she could go dance with Doug. It wasn't that she didn't like going to bars, or she was stuck up about the type of bars she went to. It was the way these creeps would look at her. Like they already knew what she looked like naked. They wanted to fulfill some fantasy.

At this bar some man who was around his 40s was smirking at her ever since she sat down the bar. When Shay left he went and sat next to her. Said his name was Merle and called her sugar tits. She never understood why she always attracted these type of men. She tried to ignore him and drink her cranberry and vodka. He wouldn't give up; he kept trying to antagonize her. One thing Ronnie had was a lot of patience. She would always get complimented on it.

At that moment her patience was running thin. Thankful someone came and got Merle, she over heard him call the man little brother. She could kind of see the resemblance. Her and the brother looked at each other for a split second. Her turned from her quick and just grabbed Merle and forced him out of the bar.

She wondered where those brothers were. She never told Shay what happened. Maybe she wanted to keep something from her, something Shay didn't know about her.

Shay always tried to get her to go out more and date more. Ronnie just didn't want to waste her time on men she knew she didn't like or had anything in common with. She didn't like any of Shay's boyfriends what made her think she would like the guys she introduced her too.

She remembered one boyfriend Shay had. His name was Calvin. He was a jock but he came from a bad home and did everything he could to get out of there. He got a scholarship and graduated from college and became a physical therapist. She could tell Shay was falling hard for this guy. Ronnie never said anything; she knew if she did Shay would over think things and end up dumping him.

Saying nothing didn't help much. Calvin told her he loved her and Shay panicked and dumped him. Shay was scared of commitment. She was scared to fall in love and have him disappear. Shay would say eventually everyone disappears.

Pushing the filing cabinet back she looked around and made sure it was safe to leave. Once she saw the coast was clear she quietly left the bank. She knew eventually she would have to leave Atlanta. She quickly made her way toward a gym she had seen. She knew that it wasn't going to be rated as much as the other places.

Gyms had bottles of water and energy drinks, protein bars and other useful stuff. When people think gym they just think of the exercise equipment.

She walked through the entrance on alert. When she noticed that there wasn't any she slightly relaxed. Grabbing a gym bag from the rack she started putting the left over protein bars in there. She found her way to the back room and found the extra boxes of drinks. She grabbed bottles of water, PowerAde and Monsters.

She was going to be leaving Atlanta today. If what Glenn said was true then she had a feeling she knew which quarry he was talking about. She quietly tried to make her way out of Atlanta. She only ran into a few walkers, nothing she couldn't handle.

When she walked and it was quiet and she could hear the birds chirping and feel the cool breeze, she smiled feeling a sense of normality. Just a little bit of normality keeps you human, keeps you ground and that's what's important to do in this world.

She heard the cars before she saw them. They were a bunch of hummers. She ducked behind one of the broken down cars and waited for them to drive off. She didn't trust Hummers; evil men drove Hummers. She just sat against one of the cars in the shade eating a protein bar to stop her stomach from grumbling.

She wanted to wait and make sure the hummers were gone and wouldn't spot her when she got up. After sitting there for an hour she finally got up and continued her journey to the quarry.

When she got to the camp it was completely deserted. She saw a pile of burned bodies and multiple grave markers above the hill. The camp must have gotten attacked last night. Some of them made it out alive because she could see all the tire marks leading to the rode. There was a red convertible had a sign for someone name Morgan telling him it wasn't safe in Atlanta and they were heading to the CDC.

She looked in the convertible to see if they left anything. When she opened up the glove compartment she found a pair of aviator sunglasses. She took them and turned to the road. Slipping on the sunglasses she took a big sigh and headed up the road.


End file.
